Needle lubricating mechanism



July 9, 1935. o. F. HOPPE I NEEDLE LUBRICA'IING MECHANISM Patented July9,1935 :1 Y

UNITED'ISTATES nai n ln lUeRIoA'riNG MECHANISM.

' OttoF.Hoppe,Frankfort-on thmMainGerrnany,

' assignor to United-Shoe Machinery Corporation,- Paterson, N. Jersey acorporation of New Application March 24, 1934, Serial No. 717,212

v i In Germany April 12, 1933 v t 7 Claims. (Cl. 112-43) The presentinvention relates to needle lubricating mechanism for shoe sewingmachinea'and is herein disclosed as embodied in a curved hook needleoutsole. stitching machine such as illus- No.*l,169,9fi9, dated February-1, 1916. Machines of this type run at comparatively high speed and whenoperating on heavy and hard stock frequently give trouble on account ofthe overheating and ensuing breakage of the needle occurring e Operatingupon stock of this kind, particularly if temporarily attached to thelasted shoe by cement. v

The 7 objects of the present invention are to provide a needlelubricating mechanism, particulariy adapted for use in outsole stitchingmachines which will be of simple and durable construction and which willact with certainty to supply the requisite amount of oil to the needleto thoroughly lubricate that portion of the needle passing through thework.

With the above objects in View, an important feature of a lubricatingmechanism embodying the present invention is that the oil is applied tothat part of the needle which projects forwardly from the needle guide!so that the oil reaches the point of the needle and, in entering theneedle hole in the work, the needle point is well lubricated and theleather fibres and cement in the stock are I prevented from adheringthereto.

Other features of the invention consist in certain constructions andarrangements of parts, whereby the needle lubricating device issupported in the proper position adjacent the path of the needle, ismoved towards and from the needle at the proper time during the stitchforming cycle, and is supplied in a certain and reliable manner with therequisite amount of oil.

The several features of the invention will be readily understood bythose skilled in the art from the following specific description of anembodiment of the invention taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing in which Fig. l is a detail view showing in sectional elevationso much of the outsole stitcher disclosed in the Ashworth patent abovereferred to as is necessary to illus- V trate the connection of thepresent invention therewith; and Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation ofthe needle lubricating mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1 with a few of theadjacent parts of the sewing machine shown in dot and dash lines.

In Fig. 1 the curved hook needle of the machine, indicated at 2, issecured in a needle segment 4 which is actuated from a crank 6 on one ofthe driving shafts 8 of the machine through a trated and described inthe patent to Ashworth -ing brush 22 in the proper timed relation to thelink it], a lever 12, one end of which is connected to the crank 6 bythe link Ill, and a link M which connects the other end of the lever, l2with the needle segment. The needle guide, indicated at i6, is mountedconcentrically with the needle and is actuated from a cam on the drivingshaft 8 through a bell crank l8, onearm of which engages the cam and theother arm of which is provided with'a gear segment meshing with a gearon a shaft 25, which shaft is provided with a gear m meshing with a gearsegment on the hub of the needle guide.

Fnese connections for actuating the needle and needle guide and allother parts of the machine disclosed in the drawing, and not hereinafterspecifically described, are the same in construction and mode ofoperation as in the machine of the Ashworth patent above referred to.

The needle lubricating mechanism illustrated in the drawing as embodyingthe features of the present invention comprises a needle lubricatingbrush indicated at 22. This brush is mounted to reciprocate towards andfrom the path of the needle in a casing or bracket 24 which is securedto the machine frame in such a position that the brush 22 moves towardsand from the path of the needle and contacts with the portion of theneedle projecting forwardly from the needle guide while the needle is insubstantially its extreme retracted position. For actuating the oilapply movements of the needle and needle guide, it is secured to one endof the wire 26 of a Bowden wire mechanism, the sheath of which extendsbetween the casing 24 and a bracket 28 on the machine frame. The otherend of the wire 5 is adjustably connected to a spring pressed plunger 30mounted to slide in the bracket 28 and provided at its lower endwith aroll engaging a cam 32 on the driving shaft 8. The adjustable connectionbetween the wire 26 and the plunger 0 30 comprises an adjusting screw 34connected to the wire 26 and screwing into the plunger 3E3. By means ofthis adjustable connection, the limit of the advancing movement of theoil applying brush 22 may be regulated as desired. The adjusting ismaintained by a lock nut 35 threaded on the screw 34 and bearing againstthe upper end of the plunger 30. v

To enable the path of the brush to be adjusted relative to that of theneedle, and also to permit the brush with its casing 24 to be moved awayfrom the needle so as not to interfere with necessary repair operationsor the insertion of a new needle or awl, the casing 24 is pivotallymounted upon the machine frame, and is clamped in position by a clampingbolt 38.

The proper amount of oil is supplied to the oil applying brush in acertain and reliable manner from a drip feed oil cup of well knownconstruction which is mounted on the frame of the machine and connectedto the interior of the casing 24, in which the brush 22 reciprocates bya conduit 42, the lower end of which at least is sufliciently flexibleto permit the movements above described of the casing about its pivotalsupport.

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated, and anembodiment of the invention having been specifically described, what isclaimed is:

1. The combination, in a shoe sewing machine provided with a curved hookneedle and a needle guide, of means for applying oil to the portion ofthe needle extending forwardly from the needle guide.

2. The combination, in a, shoe sewing machine provided with a curvedhook needle and a needle guide, of a needle oiling device, and meansacting in timed relation to the movements of the needle and needle guidefor applying oil to the portion of the needle extending forwardly fromthe needle guide while the needle is substantially at the limit of itsretracting stroke.

3. The combination, in a shoe sewing machine provided with a curved hookneedle and a needle guide, of a needle oiling device, and means formoving the oiling device into engagement with the portion of the needleextending forwardly from the needle guide.

4. The combination, in a shoe sewing machine provided with a. curvedhook needle and a needle guide, of a needle oiling device, and mechanismfor moving the oiling device into and out of engagement with the needlein timed relation to the movements of the needle and needle guidecomprising a cam and a Bowden wire interposed between the cam and theoiling device.

5. The combination in a shoe sewing machine provided with a. curved hookneedle and a needle guide, of a needle oiling device, a stationarycasing in which the oiling device is mounted to move into and out ofengagement with the needle, and means for supplying oil to the casing.

6. The combination in a shoe sewing machine provided with a curved hookneedle and a. needle guide, of an an oiling device, a stationary casingin which the oiling device is mounted to reciprocate into and out ofengagement with the needle,

and an oil conduit connected to the casing.

'7. The combination in a shoe sewing machine provided with a curved hookneedle and a needle guide, of an oiling device, a stationary casing,adjustable to permit access to the needle, in which the oiling device ismounted to reciprocate into and out of engagement with the needle, andmeans for supplying oil to the casing.

OTTO F. HOPPE.

